Ethanol Week - April 22, 2013

Groundwork begins on Florida sweet sorghum-to-ethanol plant Site preparation has begun and plans are being finalized for a formal groundbreaking ceremony to be held in the next few weeks at the country's first sweet sorghum-to-ethanol plant being built by Southeast Renewable Fuels LLC in Hendry County, Fla. READ MORE SHARE
New owners solicit sealed bids for Indiana ethanol plant Biditup Auctions and Appraisals Worldwide Inc. and Maynards, the new owners of the former New Energy Corp. ethanol plant, are accepting sealed bids for the South Bend, Ind., facility through July 15. READ MORE SHARE
	Heron Lake sale terminated, lender signs new agreement A 50 MMgy ethanol plant located in Heron Lake, Minn., won't be sold after all. Instead, Heron Lake BioEnergy LLC has signed a new debt forbearance agreement with AgStar Financial Services, its main lender. READ MORE SHARE
TMO, Usina form joint venture for Brazilian cellulosic plant TMO Renewables and Usina Santa Maria Ltda have entered into an agreement to form a joint venture to build the first commercial production plant in Brazil to convert sugar cane waste (bagasse) to cellulosic bioethanol. READ MORE SHARE
USDA proposes to simplify REAP application process The USDA has proposed a series of changes to make it easier for agricultural producers and rural small businesses to apply for renewable energy and energy efficiency funding. READ MORE SHARE
EPA releases RIN data for March The U.S. EPA has published data on renewable identification numbers (RINs) generated in March. While no D3 cellulosic biofuel RINs were generated during the month, 8,332 D7 cellulosic diesel RINs were generated. READ MORE SHARE
IEA says global biofuel capacity must double by 2020 The International Energy Agency has made its annual report to the Clean Energy Ministerial, reporting that renewable technologies are one of the few bright spots in an otherwise bleak assessment of global progress towards low-carbon energy. READ MORE SHARE
Differing RINs estimates creates confusion, market spikes Confusion remains over how to interpret and compare various estimates of renewable identification number availability, said Nick Paulson, assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics at the University of Illinois. READ MORE SHARE
NexSteppe launches biomass crops for biofuel, biopower NexSteppe, a company dedicated to pioneering the next generation of sustainable feedstock solutions for the biobased industries, has announced the launch of its first sorghum hybrid products in the U.S. READ MORE SHARE
Researchers turn corn stover into amylose starch A team of Virginia Tech researchers have adapted existing technologies to make a new product, transforming cellulose into amylose. One target market for the amylose would be functional foods, said lead researcher Y.H. Percival Zhang. READ MORE SHARE
DSM, Rostekhnologii to cooperate on biotechnology Royal DSM has announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for a strategic partnership with Rostekhnologii (Rostec), a Russian State corporation, in the fields of biotechnology and functional materials. READ MORE SHARE
New catalysts to convert ethanol to butanol fuels Researchers from U.K.'s University of Bristol reported the development of new catalysts that are able to convert ethanol to butanol at the national meeting and exposition of the American Chemical Society. READ MORE SHARE
Flint Hills Resources Renewables supports nearly 1,000 jobs In 2012, Flint Hills Resources Renewables LLC directly employed 280 full-time employees throughout Iowa and Nebraska and supported an additional 661 full-time jobs in the region according to a recent study by Harrah Analytics. READ MORE SHARE
Ceres releases Q2 financials, reports progress with sweet sorghum Ceres Inc. has released financial results for the second quarter of its 2013 fiscal year, which ended Feb. 28. The company also provided an operational update, noting progress with its sweet sorghum and switchgrass varieties. READ MORE SHARE
Enzymes from horse feces could streamline biofuel production University of California, Santa Barbara scientists have described the discovery of a potential treasure-trove of candidate enzymes in fungi thriving in the feces and intestinal tracts of horses that could aid in cellulosic biofuel production. READ MORE SHARE
Gevo, Butamax continue battle in patent office, courts The patent battle between Gevo Inc. and Butamax Advanced Biofuels LLC is continuing with recent action in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Unsurprisingly, the two companies had different views on the event. READ MORE SHARE